The present invention relates in general to aerator devices and more particularly to an improved aerator structure for live bait containers.
Fisherman have long faced the problem of keeping their live bait in good condition over a long period of time, so that a day's fishing trip will not be cut short by loss of the bait. Numerous bait containers in the form of buckets, nets and the like have been devised over the years, but no really satisfactory method has been found for keeping bait such as minnows alive in any quantity for very long.
Most bait loss is caused by a lack of oxygen in the water of the bait container, for when a large number of minnows or other bait fish, for example, are placed in a conventional minnow bucket full of water, they quickly use up the available oxygen. A number of solutions to this problem have been proposed in the past, many of which have involved the use of air pumps of various designs to inject bubbles of air into the bait container. These devices have not been satisfactory, however, for in the typical arrangement the bubbles simply float to the top of the water, without supplying a significant amount of oxygen to the bait fish. Other solutions have involved the use of stirring devices, where an impeller is driven to cause the water in the bucket to flow. It appears that the purpose of these devices is simply to bring water from the bottom of the bucket to the top where it can interface briefly with the atmosphere to absorb oxygen. However, such devices do not put a significant amount of air into the water, and cannot satisfactorily support a large population of live bait.
In prior U.S. Pat. No. Des. 214,669, which issued on July 15, 1964 to the applicant herein, an aerator design was proposed which utilized an electric motor to drive an impeller. This device provided a steady circulation of water, but encountered the difficulties outlined above, and did not satisfy the need for an inexpensive, simple, lightweight aerator which would provide sufficient oxygen in a live bait container to keep the bait alive over a long period of time.